


Heat

by mseg_21



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: And so does Eddie, Flirting, Flirting ensues, Heat as in heat wave, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Now he visits and sees Eddie for the first time in years, Reddie, Richie likes what he sees, Richie lived in Derry, Swearing, moved away
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-05-12
Packaged: 2019-05-05 16:11:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14622306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mseg_21/pseuds/mseg_21
Summary: For the weekly reddie prompt on tumblr: "heat".





	Heat

When Richie Tozier and his family had moved away from Derry, he never thought he would go back. Even though he had lived there for fourteen years of his life, he had known he wouldn’t miss the town or his school or the people in it.

His parents had been worried of what it would mean for Richie to have to move away after Wentworth had been offered a much better job than the one he already had in Derry. They had expected him to be angry, to blame them for ruining his life or to simply refuse to move away. They had been pleasantly surprised when all he did was ask if Lady Valentina Von Sparkles, their dog, will be going with them. As soon as they said that yes, Lady would be coming with them, Richie had gone upstairs to start packing his things up.

There was only one thing, or more like, one person that Richie knew he would truly miss. And that was his best friend, Beverly Marsh.

They had been friends since the age of twelve and were pretty much inseparable. That didn’t change when Richie moved away though, they stayed in touch through all the years they spent apart and reunited again in college when they both moved to California.

Now, seven years since the last time he was in Derry, Richie was back, thanks to no other but the one and only Beverly Marsh.

He was  _not_ surprised he was hating it.

Because, of fucking course he had to come back during the hottest summer in the town’s history. Apparently a heat wave had decided to hit Derry just as Beverly and Richie arrived to spend the summer with Bev’s aunt, Elyse. Richie had been there for two days and the heat was already unbearable.

Right now, both Richie and Beverly were lying on lawn chairs in Elyse’s front lawn. Beverly was wearing a bikini and she looked completely unbothered by the heat as she worked on her tan. Richie, on the other hand, was wearing a t-shirt and jeans and was sweating profusely through them. He also had one of Bev’s aunt beach hats and a pair of sunglasses over his regular glasses. When Beverly said he looked ridiculous, he had glared at her and answered with a “Not all of us can lie under the sun without getting third degree burns, Miss Hawaiian Tropic.”

Richie was taking every precaution to avoid getting sunburnt. He didn’t want to have to rub aloe vera gel on his skin everyday for the rest of the summer.

Apparently for him that didn’t mean taking cover from the sun or covering his skin with tons of sunscreen but sitting in the sun, way to overdressed for the weather and feeling as if he was being cooked alive.

“Why did I let you convince me to spend the summer with you, again?” Richie whined for what was the third time in the last half hour.

Beverly scoffed, “You _begged_ me to let you stay with me this summer.”

Richie hummed, “I don’t remember that.”

“You said that since your parents were going on a cruise for their anniversary, you had nowhere to go and that staying in Cali wasn’t an option because neither me nor Stan would be around to go grocery shopping and to make sure you didn’t burn down the apartment,” Beverly said, lowering her sunglasses to give Richie and unimpressed stare.

“That was before I knew I would be spending two months in a fucking furnace,” Richie said, exasperated, “I should have gone to Colorado with Stan and Patty.”

“And spend an entire month in a cabin in the mountains, being the third wheel to those two?”

“At least I wouldn’t feel like the skin was melting off my bones.”

“Oh Richie, it’s good to see you’re still just as dramatic as you were as a fourteen-year-old,” Elyse Marsh says, approaching the two of them while carrying a tray with two glasses of lemonade in it.

“Being dramatic is my God-given right, Lys,” Richie says.

“You wear it well, honey,” Elyse laughs. “As you do my hat and sunglasses.”

Bev lets out an incredulous bark of laughter, “Yeah, right.”

“You wished you looked this good, Marsh.”

Lys laughs, “Aren’t you a little overdressed though?”

“He has to protect his fair skin from the big bad sun,” Beverly says, mockingly.

“The moment I take off my shirt I’ll turn as red as your hair and you’ll be stuck with me whining and complaining about my sunburn.”

“I already have to hear you complain about how hot it is and how you are dying because of it. Big fucking difference.”

Richie sticks his tongue out at her. Elyse rolls her eyes and hands Richie his glass of lemonade, “And here I was going to suggest you go to the quarry like you did when you were kids.”

Beverly grabs the second glass and groans, “The asshole already refused.”

“FOR THE THOUSANDTH TIME, SUNBURN, BEVERLY. IT HURTS LIKE A BITCH.”

“You _are_ a bitch,” Beverly mutters under her breath, taking a sip of lemonade.

When Richie flips her off, Elyse laughs and shakes her head fondly at them, “Just like when you were kids.” Then she turns around and goes back inside.

The lemonade is delicious and it helps Richie cool down a bit. He is sipping the last of it, when he sees something on the other side of the street that makes him choke on his drink.

That something turns out to be a very attractive guy walking out from the house across the street, wearing only red swimming trunks and a pair of sunglasses.

Still coughing, Richie takes off his sunglasses and sits up straight on the lawn chair, trying to get a better look at the guy’s tanned and sculptured body.

Richie notices he’s carrying a bucket filled with rags and a hose as if he was planning on washing the car parked in the driveway like some model taken straight out of Richie’s wet dreams. The image of this guy, dripping wet and scrubbing the car while seductively smiling at Richie makes him feel hotter than the Derry’s goddamned weather and he lets a out a whine.

“I swear to God  Richard, if you whine about the heat one more fucking time-” Beverly groans before noticing Richie is sitting up and staring intently at something. She follows his line of vision and her eyes land on their neighbor.

Her laugh makes Richie snap out of his daydream and he finds her smirking knowingly at him.

“Still regretting coming back to Derry with me?”

Richie ignores her question and makes one himself, “Beverly Marsh, for how long were you planning to hide your hot new neighbor from me?”

“I didn’t know he would be back for summer,” Bev shrugs. Then, with a frown, she adds, “what do you mean ‘new’? He isn’t new, he’s lived there since _I_ moved to Derry.”

“Bullshit,” Richie says, looking back at the guy who is currently giving him a perfectly clear view of his ass in those swimming trunks as he bends over to pick up a rag and starts scrubbing the car. “Someone else had to move into that house after I left Derry because if I recall correctly, that house belonged to Sonia Kaspbrak and her-”

“Eddie-bear!”

A loud voice coming from inside the boy’s house, interrupts Richie.

His eyes widen as realization dawns on him. Richie hears the boy answer but he isn’t paying attention to what he is saying, he is too busy staring at him in disbelief, because there is no fucking way this gorgeous man is Eddie fucking Kaspbrak.

Richie must have said so out loud because Beverly answers him, laughter in her voice, “He is.”

“Fuck me,” Richie mutters.

“I’m sure you’d like that,” Beverly snickers.

“You have to be shitting me. _That_ is Eddie Kaspbrak?” Richie points at him and Beverly nods. “Cute, baby-faced Eddie? Fanny-pack-wearing, angry, asthmatic Eddie? Eddie Spaghetti _Eddie_?!”

“For fuck’s sake Richie, yes!”

“What the fuck happened to him?”

“Puberty. He also joined the track team in junior year,” Bev shrugs. Then he sees the way Richie is staring at him in complete astonishment, “Don’t look so surprised, Rich. It’s not like he changed overnight. It’s been seven years.”

Richie was shaking his head in utter disbelief as he thought back to seven years ago.

Eddie Kaspbrak had been a small kid with a cute face, as Richie liked to remind him while pinching his cheeks and chanting ‘cute cute cute’, much to Eddie’s annoyance. They had met through Bill Denbrough when they were eight and the three of them had become close friends, Richie had countless of nicknames for Eddie, all of which he claimed to hate, he remembers carrying around an extra inhaler for him in case his asthma ever decided to act up. Eddie had even been Richie’s first crush ever.

Then they had turned eleven and Richie had been placed in a different class than Eddie and Bill, where he had met the new girl, Beverly Marsh and he had drifted apart from his two friends. They would still talk from time to time and if Richie passed Eddie in the hallway he would throw an “Eddie Spaghetti” his way and he would respond with a glare and a fond “Beep beep Richie”. They just didn’t spend much time together anymore and after Richie moved away, they had never spoken again.

Just as he had changed during those seven years, it was obvious Eddie would too but Richie found it hard to associate that tiny, adorable boy from his childhood with this walking wet dream of a man.

“You should go talk to him,” Bev says, effectively snapping Richie out of his trip down memory lane.

“And say what? ‘I had a crush on you when we were both ten and now you look like the man of my dreams, marry me please?’”

“I was thinking something along the lines of ‘hello’?” Bev says, staring at Richie like he was crazy.

“That’s weird, Bev.”

She snorts loudly, “Weirder than what you said?”

Richie is about to answer, when Eddie turns around and spots him and Bev on the other side of the street.

Richie yelps and uses Lys’ hat to cover his reddening face, missing Eddie’s amused smile and the excited manner in which he waves at Bev.

She smiles back at him and waves him over. Bev watches him as he goes to rinse his soapy hands before heading their way.

While Eddie is still out of hearing distance, Bev mutters to Richie, “You might want to lose the hat, he is coming over.”

Richie’s reaction is instantaneous, he sits up straight, sends the hat flying to the floor and turns to glare at Beverly.

“What the fuck, Marsh?”

She shrugs, “I’m doing you a favor. Now, be nice.”

Richie is about to argue when he notices Eddie is just a couple of steps away from them so he stays quiet. Richie is glad he’s sitting down because the sight in front of him makes him feel lightheaded and weak at the knees.

And as great as Eddie looks in those too tight swimming trunks and nothing else, it’s his face that catches Richie’s eyes.

It’s not the same child-like chubby face from seven years ago but Richie can recognize in it the boy he used to be friends with.

He recognizes his big brown eyes outlined by long eyelashes, the freckles covering his small nose and his cheekbones, more prominent now due to the sunlight, his soft curly hair, even though it’s longer now than it used to be. But most of all, he recognizes the same bright smile, because even though Eddie used to groan and roll his eyes at Richie most of the time, there were moments when he was able to get a smile or laugh from him, he remembers living for those moments.

“Bev, hi! Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back this summer?” Eddie says, once he is close enough.

Eddie’s voice is music to Richie’s ears and it draws a strangled noise from him. Luckily for him, only Bev hears it, she smiles knowingly at him before she stands up to greet Eddie.

“Hi Eddie!” Bev says, hugging him. “It was a last minute thing. I was going to visit Ben but we had to reschedule.”

“I’m so glad you’re here! I was worried I was going to have to hang out with Ma all summer.” Eddie says, and he sounds genuinely relieved.

“Bill didn’t come back?”

“No, he got a publishing deal and chose to stay in Boston to work on the story. So it’s just me.”

“Well, you’re in luck because Richie and I are staying all summer.” Bev said, pointing at Richie over her shoulder.

When he heard his name, Richie lifted up his eyes and found Eddie looking at him with a curious expression. He smiled tentatively at Eddie and something in his smile, probably his too big front teeth, must have sparked Eddie’s memory because his eyes go wide and he stares at Richie in disbelief.

“Richie? As in Richie Tozier?”

Richie stands up and awkwardly holds his arms out, “The one and only.”

“Oh my God!” Eddie gasps and next thing Richie knows, he is wrapping his arms around Richie’s neck and his naked chest is pressing against his clothed one.

Richie doesn’t know what to do with his hands so they just hover over Eddie’s body before he settles them on his back. He can see Beverly laughing at him from over Eddie’s shoulders and he glares at her.

“I can’t believe it. It’s been forever!” Eddie says, letting go of Richie and falling back on his heels, because no matter how many things have changed, there is one thing that remains the same and that is the fact that Eddie’s still short and considering Richie shot up to 6'2" when he was a teenager, he towers over Eddie.

“Seven years, but who is counting?” Richie laughs, mirroring Eddie’s excitement.

“I never thought I’d see you in Derry again.”

“If I had known you were still around, I would’ve come back sooner. It’s fucking good to see you, Eddie Spaghetti. You’re just as cute now as you were then,” Richie winks.

Eddie snorts, “And I can see you’re still a Trashmouth. I somehow expected you to grow out of it.”

Richie smirks, “Oh, I grew alright. And I don’t mean just my height.”

Beverly groans and Eddie’s bark of laughter escapes him before he can try to keep it in, “Beep beep Richie.”

Eddie’s laugh and the beeping make Richie grin with how familiar those two things sound.

They are staring at each other and just like Richie had done earlier, Eddie seems to be taking in all the changes Richie suffered through the years they were apart. And if his slight blush and the glint in his eye are any indication, he likes what he sees.

Richie doesn’t know how long they stare at each other in silence, all he knows is that it goes on long enough for Beverly to grow exasperated.

She clears her throat, “I’m gonna go inside to help my aunt with lunch so that you two can catch up and make heart eyes at each other in peace.” Then she goes inside.

Eddie lets out a nervous laugh, “It’s great that you and Bev stayed friends all these years.” The ‘unlike us’ goes unsaid.

“Yeah, you and Bill too or so I gathered,” Richie says, and he feels a small pang of jealousy saying it, wishing him and Eddie hadn’t drifted apart.  

Eddie nods, “We live together in Boston.”

Richie doesn’t know what to make of that, so he says, “Ohhh, did Eddie Spaghetti and his school crush finally got together?”

Eddie frowns, then he catches on to what Richie said and he shakes his head frantically, “Oh no. No, no. It’s not like that. He has a girlfriend, Audra and I don’t think of him that way. No.”

Richie sighs in relief, he knows he is being obvious as hell but he can’t bring himself to care, “You did back when we were kids, though. You used to worship the ground Bill walked on.”

“He still makes fun of me for that,” Eddie groans, “And I don’t think that was a crush, more like childish hero-worship, you know? He was my first friend and I thought the world of him.”

Richie hums, “I always thought he was your first crush.”

Eddie laughs, he scratches the back of his neck and looks up at Richie, nervous, “Uh, no, that was, that was actually you.”

Richie’s eyes widen in surprise, “W-what? Me? You had a crush on _me_?”

“Yeah,” Eddie cringes, “It’s embarrassing, I know.”

“I, no, it’s not,” Richie splutters, “I-I had a crush on you, Eds.”

Eddie looks at him like he is crazy, “Why?”

“Why, he says.” Richie stares at Eddie with that same expression, “How couldn’t I? You were the cutest boy I’ve ever seen!”

Eddie blushes at that. Then, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, he asks, “Were?”

“Uh, well,” Richie chuckles, nervously, “You’re still cute, I just- I think there better ways to describe you now. The words ‘fucking sex god’ come to mind.”

Eddie bursts out in laughter and Richie doesn’t even mind that he just embarrassed himself.

Giggling, Eddie says, “So we both had a crush on each other?”

“Seems like it.”

“And now we both find each other attractive?” Eddie smirks.

“Yeah,” Richie frowns, “wait, you find _me_ attractive?”

Eddie literally face palms, “Didn’t you see me blatantly checking you out when I came over here? I thought I was being as obvious as you.”

“You offend me, mist’r, I am a master of subtlety.”

Eddie snort tells him differently, “Right. I’m surprised none of your drool ended up on my shorts.”

Richie smirks, “There are other ways we could make that happen,” he says, waggling his eyebrows.

“Richie! Oh my God, you’re disgusting!”

“Still, you had a crush on me, so who is more disgusting, I ask.”

Eddie glares at him but the corner of his mouth curls up in a smile.

Before either of them can say anything, Beverly shouts at them from the front porch, “Hey lovebirds! Food is ready! Eddie, do you want to join us for lunch?”

“I should head back and finish washing my car.”

“Great. I’ll tell Lys to set an extra plate on the table!” Beverly says, ignoring Eddie’s argument and heading back inside.

“I guess she wasn’t taking no for an answer,” Eddie chuckles.

“That’s kind of the way she rolls.”

“I should at least go put on a shirt before heading inside.”

“Please don’t,” Richie pleads.

Eddie swats at him playfully and Richie winks at him. He marvels at how easy it is to fall back into their usual banter even after years and years of not seeing each other, like nothing has changed.

Well, almost nothing.

Eddie going on his tip toes and placing a small kiss to the corner of Richie’s mouth was definitely new.

“I’ll be right back,” Eddie says, with a soft smile.

Richie nods. “Don’t take too long, Spaghetti man,” he yells after him.

Eddie turns around, his face pinched, “Damn, I had forgotten how much I hated your nicknames!”

“You loved them back then and you love them now!” Richie yelled back, laughing.

Eddie shakes his head before crossing the street and heading to his house to change.

Richie follows him with his eyes, a smile on his face and feeling hot all over, except this time he can’t blame it on Derry’s heated weather.

* * *

 

Later when they had finished eating and catching up on their lives, Lys left the three of them in charge of cleaning up the kitchen while she went upstairs to take a nap.

“I should head back,” Eddie says, once he finishes drying off the last of the dishes, “that car is not gonna wash itself.”

“We should do something tomorrow!” Bev says, excitedly and the two boys nod.

“I was thinking of going to the quarry tomorrow, if the weather is anything like today’s, there’s nothing I’d enjoy more than swimming in some cold water.”

Before Richie could answer, Beverly says, “Richie refuses to go to the quarry.”

Eddie frowns, “Why?

“Now now, Beverly, I didn’t say I refused,” Richie chuckles.

“Your exact words were ‘I refuse to go to the quarry’.”

“I changed my mind,” Richie shrugs.

Beverly rolls her eyes, “I wonder why.” Which makes Eddie giggle and Richie glare at her, “What about sunburns?”

“I’m willing to take a risk if Eddie Spaghetti here offers to rub sunscreen all over me.” Richie says, smirking at him.

Eddie blushes but smirks as well, “Only if you return the favor.”

Richie downright beams at that, “It would be my fucking pleasure.”

Beverly rolls her eyes at the two of them and their shameless flirting.

When Eddie leaves and it's just Beverly and Richie, watching old movies in the living room, he keeps going through the events of that day and makes a mental note to thank his parents, for going on that Royal Caribbean Cruise this summer, Stan, for not letting him crash his romantic break with Patty and Beverly, for letting him come stay with her and her aunt.

Because heat wave or not, this was bound to be the best summer Richie had ever spent in the city of Derry.

**Author's Note:**

> Don’t forget to leave a comment or come find me on tumblr at @jem-carstairs-is-perfection 
> 
> I’d love to know what you think <3


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